Syringe



Sept. 16, 1952 J. D. EDWARDS SYRINGE.

Filed July 27, 1951 INVENTOR day/y D. E0 w/r/w ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 16, 1952 NITED; STATES PATENT YE NG 11mm? d QattleJWa Q-Z Arnli atienlqlxfit, 1951, Serial No- 2'38.952;- v

This invention relates to an improved vaginal douche syringeof the type havingan inflatable; body portion adapted, to be'expanded to-seal the vaginal opening during: douching and afterwards; v

the primary objectof the inventionbeing to'provide a more practical and-,efllcient device of" this kind which renders the douching operation above which 'canbemade eitherin the form of a up complete syringe or in the form-of an attach-- ment for the nozzle ,o fj-;an' ordinaryyaginal vsyringe, tlre device in either form being simple,

and rugged in construction and capable of being madeserviceable and attractiveat; relatively, low. cost.

Other, important objects and advantageous? features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, merely for purposes of illustration, specific embodiments of the invention are set forth in detail.

In the drawings, wherein like or similar members designate the same or like parts throughout the several views:

Figure '1 is a side elevation of one embodiment, showing the device in unexpanded condition;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section showing the device of Figure l in expanded condition; and,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section taken through another embodiment designed for attachment to an ordinary vaginal syringe.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and first to Figures 1 and 2 thereof', the embodiment of the invention therein shown is a complete vaginal syringe, involving a straight, axial, relatively hard tube 5, in one end of which is crimped or otherwise secured, as indicated at 6, one end of a douche nozzle 1. In the other end of the tube 5 is similarly crimped or otherwise suitably secured, as indicated at 8, one end of a connector or coupling tube 9, on whose other end is secured a flexible tube l0, leading from one end of a compressible bulb connected to a flexible tube [2 leading from a suitable source of douche fluid (not shown).

Fixed to and concentrically surrounding the hard tube 5 is a flexible, resilient, and stretchable body portion which is longitudinally elongated and of circular or hollow cylindrical form, and has disk-like end portions I5 H having its opposite end 7 ael i s... (c1. 12e 2a1 and. 6; respectively; secured "to the ;.;opposite-i. ends-of the tube; 5.; The middle of the body-M; issurrounded by a..relativ1ely" thicken- CIT-165552 stretchable band I! which restricts expansion .ofgthis part of the body- M-whenthe bodyzis inflated, and producesthehour-glass shape; of. thebody [4.1 shown in Figure 2,-when theibody is. inflated thereby providing. generally similar conical-headsi8 a d .r p ve1y.- t-c nosite ndsz-ofathe body, l

For inflating anddeflating: the; .body' l;4;;. -:th e,-,.; dir tien :l 5 snne 4 3 0 at; 0 id. of thehard tube 5,,a short -tubulanfittingggfl involving; a part ZI-Z1eading fromtthe-end lflan n ct d to ne end.- q s ninflating 1??? 4 3 11: a part-23 extendingfrom the-side of'the-,-part 2l and provided with a suitable form of nor nall closed checkvalve (notshown) having; an operat ing: button 2,5, The; other end of; the inflati tub e ;2 Zincludes.a-mouthpiece 2 5 for usedn; blow ing air into the body M or some other form 0 inflating means may be connected thereto.

In its uninflated or collapsed condition, the body [4 is in the flexible small diameter condition shown in Figure 1, in which the device is easily and comfortably inserted in the vaginal opening. As the device is passed into the opening with the nozzle 1 foremost, about half the length of body 14 is inserted before inflating the body l4, so that upon inflation thereof the forward head l8 will be within the vagina and the rearward head [9 will be outside of the vagina. The soft, conformable inflated heads I8 and I9 thereby seal both the inner and outer surfaces adjacent to the vaginal opening and effectively prevent leakage of douche solution through the opening while the body I 4 is in inflated condition. While the body 14 is in place and in inflated condition, the douche solution is applied through the nozzle 1 by means of the bulb ll. With the valve closed, the inflated body I 4 will retain the douche fluid in the vaginal canal as long as desired. Opening of the valve by operation of the button 25 provides for rapid or slow deflation of the body I4 as may be desired, to enable withdrawal of the device.

In Figure 3 is shown a form of the device designed for attachment to the nozzle 30 of an ordinary vaginal syringe 3 I. The only difference between the device of Figure 1 and that of Figure 3 is that the axial tube 5a in Figure 3 is relative: ly soft and stretchable instead of being hard, so that the rear end of the tube 5a can be stretched over the head 32 of the syringe nozzle 30 and used as described above.

In both embodiments of the invention, the ends I5, [6 are covered on their outer sides by thin circular sheets 34 of chamois or the like to aid in preserving the shape of and limiting the inflation expansion of the heads l8 and I9.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a vaginal douche syringe, an elongated tube. a nozzle projecting axially from one end of said tube, a douche fluid supply means connected to the other end of said tube, a generally cylindrical inflatable body surrounding said tube, said body having ends secured at opposite ends of said tube, said body being formed of resilient and stretchablematerial and having a relatively small diameter when uninflated, said body being formed to expand to a relatively large diameter when inflated, and a band surrounding an intermediate portion of said body, said bandbeing substantially less stretchable than said body whereby upon inflation of said body the remainder of said body expands beyond the diameter of said band to deflne conical heads on the opposite ends of said body. I

2. In a vaginal douche syringe, an elongated tube, a, nozzle projecting axially from one end of said tube, a douche fluid sup-ply means connected to the other end of said tube, a generally cylindrical inflatable body surrounding said tube, said body having ends secured at opposite ends of said tube, said body being formed of resilient and stretchable material and having a relatively small diameter when uninflated, said body being formed to expand to a relatively large diameter when inflated, a band surrounding an intermediate portion of said body, said band being substantially less stretchable than said body whereby upon inflation of said body the remainder of said body expands beyond the diameter'of said band to define conical heads on the opposite ends of said body, said other end of the inflatable body having inflating means connected thereto including valve means operable to deflate said body, and flexible and nonstretching sheets secured on the opposite ends of said inflatable body for preserving the shape of said opposite ends and limiting the expansion thereof as the body is inflated.

3. In a vaginal douche syringe, an elongated tube, a nozzle projecting axially from one end of said tube, a douche fluid supply means connected to the other end of said tube, a generally cylindrical inflatable body surrounding said tube, said body having ends secured at opposite ends of said tube, said body being formed of resilient and stretchable material and having a relatively small diameter when uninflated, said body being formed to expand to a relatively large diameter when inflated, said other end of the inflatable body havinginflating means connected thereto including valve means operable to deflate said body, said body having a band surrounding an intermediate portion thereof, said band being substantially less stretchable than said body whereby upon inflation of said body the remainder of said body expands beyond the diameter of said band to define conical heads on the opposite ends of said body.

JOHN D. EDWARDS, f

Number Name a 851,530 L'amport Apr. 23, 190? 1,014,228 Kellogg 1 Jan. 9, 1912 1,643,289 Peglay Sept. 20, 1927 2,210,744 Winder Aug. 6, 1940 

